Paint Books

Well, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is longer than the first two HP books, but not better. I suppose that we have lost a bit of our wonder at Harry's world, but this book seems to be a slight let down from the high levels we enjoyed in the first two books. Nevertheless, we have a totally different start to this book than we had in the previous books.

Rowling continues to feed our curiosities by supplying new and different experiences and new twists and turns in the HP story. With the introduction to Sirius Black, and of dementors, to the main plot, Rowling takes the HP series towards a more mature tone and loses a bit of the whimsey that the first two books had. I thik Rowling does a very good job at telling a very good story while letting Harry start to grow up.

The finale of this book is long and different from the pattern of the first two books. Among other things, we learn of deeper and more powerful magical practices.

I may seem grumpy about some aspects of this book, but I was entranced by the author's abilities to tell a suspense-filled and adventurous tale, fit for adolescents of all ages.

I recommend this book.

J.K. Rowlings never lets her readers down Harry's quest to be happy stays alive in this book. Also, he gets to meet the only family he has left which makes Harry very Happy at the end of this sequel!!!!

I read this book a few years ago, when the the thrill of Harry was in it's prime. I've seen the movie more times than I can count and I must say the movie is excellent but not as good as the book. I've just reread this book and can't beleive all I had forgotten. It's truly a page turner. From the start when Harry spots the Grim to when Mr Weasley warns Harry of Sirius Black's escape and hunt for Harry the reader is hooked. The Maurader's Map is a great addition to the Invisibility Cloak. The first 2 books were good, but you truly don't get into Harry until this book. Ron and Hermione's relationship is beginning to bud. Hermione is truly the goody goody in this installment. There were times I was mad at her with Ron and Harry. Getting the history of Harry's father's friends helped the story advance with background. This book also helps paint the picture of Snape and his hatered for Harry. The introduction of the Patronus is excellent. It's just as amazing in the book and the movie did a great job of reproducing it. All in all, I loved this book and recommend it to everyone who enjoys magic and fantasy reads.

This series is fun for kids and adults. My son and I are reading it together!

Good, solid storytelling. Ms. Rowling's third installment in the Harry Potter series continues to add interesting characters and create an even more appealing magical world for the reader to escape into. Each book has shown the gradual evolution of Harry from a neglected, abused child and mentored into a honorable young man. But the character-building journey is certainly a bumpy ride for young Potter. Moral messages and the complexities of the human condition abound as each new story has been introduced to the public. One of the underlying messages of the book is that most problems in life are not simply black and white, but more complicated. To convey this point in a fun, exciting manner is the sign of great writing. There's real heart to this series and deserves a wide readership.

An ingenious, droll little children's book intended to teach them about colors. At ten months, my son is too young to appreciate it very much, but I read it to him anyway just so I get the chance to enjoy its storytelling, artwork, didactic skill, and humor.

Very cute illustrations and simple text introduces color mixing. Yellow and blue make green, etc. I always read this story to my kindergarten children and then we experiment with finger paints. Great activity!

This is the best "color" book I've ever read. I love that it has an actual storyline, and a clever one at that! The text is perfectly concise, and the illustrations are simple but engaging. My 5-month-old daughter loves it!

Ellen Stoll Walsh teaches color mixing in this entertaining story about 3 white mice who find three jars of primary colored paint. I read this book to my kinders before they did their own color mixing art project and they just loved it!

The pictures, created with cut-paper, are just darling. This is worth having in any classroom or home library.

As a mom I love Mouse Paint! There is depth to the story. In addition, the innovative introduction of concepts with primary colors is just plain fun. Reading for reading is always good. But reading to teach information opens up new horizons for lifelong learning. The whole book has me smiling all the way through. It is short so when it becomes a beloved favorite -- and it will be a favorite guaranteed! -- you can easily get through it to the satisfaction of all. This is the type of book I tell my friends about.

This edition in hardback would be nice as a gift.

Donna did it again with this book and as with her other books, I am learning so much. I suggest this book to anyone who wants to take their polymer clay work to another level. Well written, great photos, easy to follow instructions. Thanks for another great book, Donna.

Madeline Faiella

As a statement jewelry artist [...] I work in polymer, glass and metals.

This book is really informative, great easy techniques that give really nice results. The pictures are great and she always
carefully gives you step by step, I have not done transfer but will try it now. For beginners start with her earlier books, then move on to this book.

This book is outstanding and extremely useful. It has great projects, detailed descriptions, and plenty of info on where to find suppliers for every tool and material used in the book. I found it very helpful.

I was totally new to clay working, heading for a class in the medium, when I purchased this book. I was absolutely delighted, and was able to start my class with some background and understanding of working the materials. I sit in awe of Ms. Kato's talent, and did find the techniques more difficult than they look. This aside, it is an excellent accumulation of many of the techniques that makes polyclay such a joy to work with. Ms. Kato does list several varieties of clay, inks, paints and other products, but I appreciate that she enumated which she found easier to work with, and why. I did expect some bias towards Kato Polyclay, as she helped develop it, but have also found this an excellent product to work with and have not been disappointed with its performance.
The book is a MUST HAVE for the beginner reference library, and is also an inspiration with the images from Ms Kato and other artist's collections. I'm pleased I purchased this book, and plan to keep it as a cornerstone for clay working.

I found the book just did not live up to my expectations. When will crafting books realize that photo transfers done with xerox machines hardly ever work as they are shown in books? The techniques of photo transfer, which is covered in this book as if it works, is really frustrating. Also, the use of translucent clays to good effect is iffy and the high polish acheived by the author on many of the pieces. I just couldn't get it to work.

Get lost in the world of art Curtis creates throughout this lovely home featured in this must have coffee table book 'Your home a living canvas" His murals and step by step well explained ideas will transport you to a whimisical beautiful place you will not soon wish to leave. This book remains on my night table. Richy photographed and thoroughly inspiring! PUT THIS ON YOUR WISH LIST!

Sass Lassley
Owner/Artist Fe Fi Faux Studio's Inc.

Decorative Artist Curtis L. Heuser will take you on a true-to-life journey of his purchase of a forgotten historic house in disrepair to it's reclaimed glory. A chance meeting between Curtis and the art director for the book's publisher resulted in this journey being documented for the benefit of creative thinkers everywhere. Where to begin? What to tackle first? How to proceed? Curtis allows us to enter his creative thinking process as he provides the reader with his inspirations, initial preparatory drawings, as well as tips and tricks, materials lists and instructions for executing many of the exciting painted and plaster finishes that he used in this stunning home. From the elegant chinoiserie-inspired garden mural on the cover to the creation of a faux-rusted vanity, Curtis hasn't kept much to himself. He allows the reader generous access to this handsome home and to all of the secrets of it's restored beauty. Your Home, a living canvas will inspire you to rethink your own living canvas and if you like, will hold your hand along the way.

I love reading what people have to say about things I KNOW so well. lol I am very fortunate to have a Curtis Heuser mural in my home and when guest see it, they speak of my home to others as a mansion, not a house. Curt is a would class artist, however, this book gets criticized in some reviews because it is not JUST about murals. Please be thankful about that folks. A mural does personalize a space and add an art feature to a home but Curt then teaches how to complete the picture by showing you how to decorate the space. Curt does not say, "Give me a boat load of money and i'll transform your home", he tells you how to make your house a mansion. I, like Curt, came from very humble beginnings and he has taught me how to live like a king, or at least look like on a shoe string budget. He teaches how to select great paint colors, fabrics, and decorative pieces you can pick up at discount stores or antique shows. People come to my house and look at things I have picked up and marvel at their beauty and I smile knowing that the item might have been $9.00 and I bought it because I loved it. I didn't have to pay a decorator a commission on something purchased form a store that already has it marked up. Please enjoy Curts gift for making your house a home from mural work, faux finishes, collections that you purchase from Goodwill to antique shows. However, having said all this, my best purchase was the mural in my dining room. Check it out on HGTV website, episode 508 on the show Before and After. I hope there will be many more books from this man. He has the gift to create world class spaces. I wish all of you could have your own Heuser mural. His portfolio is amazing.

This is a delilghtful and beautiful book for artists or those of us who appreciate others' talent. Curtis has created a labor of love first in his home and then in his book. I was fortunate enough to tour the finished product and it is truly gorgeous. I'm able to relive the experience by revisiting his book from time to time. This book is a winner on all counts.

YOUR HOME,A LIVING CANVAS sits on my living room coffee table and everyone who sees it wants one. Curtis Heuser's work is stunning and his directions for achieving beautiful results in your own home are clear and accessible. This book is head and shoulders above any others that I have read on faux finishes and/or murals. For just browsing for aesthetic pleasure or for guidance in undertaking major artistic redecoration, YOUR HOME is the book to own; the perfect gift to give or to receive.

An easy step by step how - to guide book makes corel 8 simplified right down to the short cuts. Well done gentlemen !

An easy step by step how - to guide book makes corel 8 simplified right down to the short cuts. Well done gentlemen !

This book and "CorelDRAW F/X are essential for users of the program. I can't really add anything to the reviews out there except "Amen"

I was looking for a book, not a manual, to show me some of the special effects everyone wants to learn, not just how to use the tools. I have learned so much from this book and have even impressed a few of my friends. The steps to create the projects are clear and easy to follow. The perfect book for any Corel user.

Studio Techniques by Gary Priester has been the most inspirational corel draw book I have (and I have read many). His ability to teach many skills and techniques in just one of his tutorials is absolutely amazing....His ability to use colors and create truely "gem like" creations with them has left me with my mouth open more than once! All of this means nothing to me if the person with these abilities lacks teaching skills...and this is where Gary shines above most others.... When you combine "Creative Genious" with truely great teaching and writing skills you have "Studio Techniques.." by Gary Priester!!

Another wonderful cloth doll book by my favorite author in this area. Great illustrations. Thank you!

Excellent book! Great instructions on how to draw a face on cloth and how to paint and highlight facial features. I haven't made my first doll yet, but I have it on my "to do" list. I really like Patti Medaris Culea and Anne Hesse's dolls as they seem so realistic with the beautiful colors and embellishments. I make handsewn beaded jewelry and I look forward to making my first cloth doll creation. One of the things I really like about Patti's books is she also includes other dollmakers work so you can visually see all the different styles of the designers and it makes your own creative juices start to flow.

Creative Cloth Doll Faces: Using Paints, Pastels, Fibers, Beading, Collage, and Sculpting Techniques
Using many photos and easy to follow directions and diagrams, Patti has reduced the terrifying and difficult task many feel unable to acheive to its basics and allows the artist in you to come alive!

The book has dolls from a number of different artists and demonstrates each of their approach to making the face come alive! The tips are portable and not limited to just Patti's own dolls, but ones you can save in your head for future use on a new project.

I highly recommend this book for both beginning dollmakers as well as for advanced artisans who want to improve their work or techniques.

Creative Cloth Doll Faces is delightful, inspirational and visually stimulating. It takes the idea of an art doll to a new level of elegance. The directions are easy to understand, even for a beginner. It is amazing how much diversity can be made from one basic face. Each artist gives the face his/her own creative identity. I highly recommend this book to folks who wish to get into the making of elegant art dolls. Bravo for Patti Medaris Culea for a fine tutorial that includes paints, pastels, fibers, beading, collage and sculpting techniques.

That's what this book is good at. Easy to follow directions, great patterns, that can be changed to fit - your doll. But most of all, a easy way to get that face looking, like a face. Not a blob of colors, where the eyes are not in the right place, or are too big on one side, and smaller on the other. This book also has great tips for those who are more experianced. The face intimadates most begainers, and some who have expriance too. And this makes it fun to come up with your own doll face. Where you'll know it will look like a face. Enjoy - this books is tons of fun. You'll find yourself going back to it, again and again.

I use this book often to help with open-ended art activities in the preschool classroom. There are lots of great ideas!

I'm not very imaginative when it comes to "projects" for my kids (who are currently 3 and 1) so I love this book. I am thankful that there are people in the world with great ideas who share them in books. :P

All the reviews written on this Amazon site for FIRST ART explain why this book is exceptionally good for toddlers, twos and other little guys. But what I like is that it also gives the adult in charge some clear hints for success as well as suggestions for easy prep and collection or selection of materials. This is the key to making things work for the little guys...if we are ready as adults with a clear idea of what's happening, we can make sure it is smooth and fun for the kids too. I also like how materials are very flexible: If you don't have cardboard, then use an old poster. If you don't have paint, use food coloring. If you don't have paper, use the evening newspaper. Many people whose kids are grown already know some of this (some, not all!!!), but if you're new to art with little ones, this is a life-saver. EXCELLENT!!

I wanted to thank all of the folks who have taken the time to review "First Art", a book of art projects and experiences for toddlers and two's. I've read every single review! How happy I am that this book is bringing great experiences to kids, and to their moms too. Thank you so very much to each of you for your wonderful reviews that remind me I am doing the right thing with my life!!!!
~ MaryAnn
w w w dot brightring dot com

I purchased this book so I could have more fun with my daughter, about a year and a half at the time of this review, and teach her a thing or two about creativity along the way. When I first got the book and read it, I LOVED it. There were tons of homemade recipes for saving money, ideas seemed relatively simple, yet fun, directions thorough... However, when I started implementing the ideas with my toddler, I slowly changed my mind.
I see a number of problems with this book:
Homemade recipes sound wonderful. You save money, you use ingredients you already have in your pantry, and you feel like such a handy supermom, what's not to love, right? Well, wrong...
First, the recipes often call for things I definitely don't have in my pantry, I was not even sure what some things were. For instance, cream of tartar. I wrote down a list of things I needed for a project and asked 3 employees at the store for it and all of them pointed me to tartar sauce. So, I had to go home empty-handed and do research online to find out what it was and why I needed it and where I could buy it, what I can substitute it for, etc. Most of the sources online seemed to indicate that it is something that used to be big in baking, but hardly ever needed now that we have baking powder. It'd be nice if the author provided some substitutions. I ended up using baking powder and it seemed to work alright. I later accidentally found cream of tartar in the spices section of my grocery store - and I looked in baking to no avail.
Another things is that a lot of recipes (80%, I'd say) call for tempera paint... If I'm going to buy paint, why buy tempera paint and mix it with stuff to make finger paints, might just as well buy finger paints - will probably end up cheaper. Same goes for, for example, a home-made blackboard. You need to buy the tape that has that chalkboard surface or chalkboard spray paint. Well, both are rather pricey, so it is almost as cheap to buy a ready-made chalkboard easel (not to mention much less trouble). Also, some recipes call for things like "an old grater you no longer use" (because you're going to be grating a bar of soap, for example) or "a big appliance box". I don't know if it's just me, but I think my Mom still uses the same grater she had when I was a year and a half and I don't buy big-screen TVs on a monthly basis... So, I don't really have all these lying around the house, nor is it always easy/cheap to find/buy one just when you want to try a project - often it really is easier and maybe even cheaper to just buy whatever it is you were going to make (case in point - beads).
Also, many recipes call for huge amounts of flour, salt, cornstarch, and food coloring. While those aren't that expensive in and of themselves (and food coloring CAN be), they add up! 4 cups of flour here, 4 cups of flour there, with a lot of these recipes not having the same shelf life as the store-bought equivalents. So, once again, the savings are questionable, even if we don't factor in the time we have to spend preparing stuff versus buying it ready-made.
The quality of projects.
My daughter is a pretty determined and focused toddler when she wants to be, but a lot of those projects are too contemplative to really keep her attention for more than 10 seconds. For instance, exploring the sounds and textures of a piece of foil or the much-favored by many feeley goop. My daughter was done exploring the sounds and textures of foil in 5 seconds and she did not want to explore the feeley goop at all after the initial try, so how was I supposed to make her realize that it has some unique qualities? The same goes for quite a number of projects that are meant to just "explore", but I realize that it is highly individual and there might be children out there who love those projects, just be aware that it is not automatic. Perhaps some of these activities would work well in a group, where children can feed off of each other's ideas and where interaction is already exciting enough, but for one child they can be a tad on a boring side and are over too quickly to be called an "activity".
Another thing in the projects I often have issues with is their messiness. The author does do a good job of outlining how to prep the working space, but with some projects, the colors will get splashed all over the place - it's toddlers we're talking about! I can cover a relatively large portion of the floor and the whole table, but I can't cover the walls and the ceiling... Not to mention that toddlers are known to run away in the middle of a project. So, unless you have a whole room you don't mind getting dirty and where you can contain your child (porch, sunroom, child-proof play room?), some of those projects will be just too much of a risky business to attempt in a nicer room. We live in a fully-carpeted apartment, and there is no way I'll be able to clean it up nicely if my child decides to have too much fun with one of the messier projects.
Finally, I find some "cooking" directions a little too sketchy. I have never made this thing before, I don't know what it should look and feel like, I actually ruined a couple of projects because I did something too soon or too late, even though I thought I was following the instructions religiously - there went 4 cups of flour and 2 cups of salt :-). Just so you don't think I'm a complete idiot, I do bake regularly and cook quite a bit too, and while sometimes my pizza dough made from scratch does turn out a little drier than I like, it is always edible, never a complete failure.
Overall, I'd say it's a good book with good ideas. If I were a kindergarten teacher, or had 2 or more kids of different ages, I'd probably rate this book better. But as a parent of only 1 child, I'd probably ever use only 1/3 of all the ideas of the book, with 2/3 being eliminated for one or several of the reasons mentioned above, which I find rather disappointing, since I am not paying only for the ideas I'm using...
Our favorite project so far? The bread. It did not taste spectacular (although was edible), but my daughter loved messing with the flour, watching it turn to dough, playing with the dough, etc.

I would personally say that Voltaire is a literary genius.
His words speak to you in a gentle tone, never snide or rebuking, simply informative.

He does seem to embrace his sarcasm, but it's always in a "good" way;
Even his sarcastic remarks lead to and emphasis a strong point.
His book provides a plethora of decorating ideas, not only for a gothic designer, but for any person trying to make they're dwelling habitable.

I would certainly recommend this book, I don't think my words do it proper justice.

Side Note:
Voltaire also has several music albums, the majority of his songs have a very amusing satirical background, while he also has a phenominal CD with a more serious setting.

He has live shows throughout the east coast (not sure if he goes past that, I'm sure it lists it on his site), if you ever have the opportunity to see him perform live, it's something you'll simply never forget.
You can get more info on all that at http://www.voltaire.com.

10/10.

I bought this book shortly after it was put on shelves, few years back, knowing that despite it being a slim book, I'd get a nice chuckle out of it. Indeed I did, but I also did receive a lot of unique and inspiring ideas for sprucing up my living area.
There are many suggestions for the dark at heart for interior decorating, gothing out one's car, baking spooky treats, and other such little arts and crafts, all of which are not that expensive. Even someone of little talent can pull off some of these crafts. Many of these crafts are literally... painting something black. Or you could be really creative and throw some red in there. Maybe plaster a bat sticker on it to break up the monotony.
I can't say I'm really hard-core into the scene like I used to be. My Siouxsie and the Banshees CDs are collecting dust. I'm not sporting the velvet skirts and pointy boots as often as I used to. But I still collect the old wine bottles for some neat candelabra displays. Where did I happen to get that idea? From this book. Even if you're not the uber-goth that has racked up on the goth points over the years, you still can get some unique, money-saving tips.

My only complaint for this book was that it was too short. *shrug* But you have to take the Goth style for what it is: minimalistic.

A friend of mine let me borrow this book. I am amazed that I gave it back without crying like a baby. From spooky dolls to bottle candle holders to a Gothic wedding, this is the perfect starter guide for the do it yourself goth. Or, if nothing else, it is a good laugh and an easy read.

If you're a fan of Voltaire's brand of snarky humor, you'll enjoy this book on gothic homemaking. The design of the book is worth the price on its own; the black-white-and-red color scheme and black pages are sleek and lovely. My only "complaint" (and it's not really a complaint so much as an observation) is that quite a few of the ideas are very basic and straightforward, and could be found online for free. (Examples: hanging cloth on your walls instead of painting; turning boring dolls into demon dolls.) But, there are a lot of really cool and inventive ideas with complete and helpful instructions, such as the "goth box" shelves, picture frames, and the graveyard cake (which looks as delicious as it does spooky). Voltaire also gets points for including specific recommendations for where to find some of the materials, such as car decals for "pimping your ride." These details turn what could have been rather bland ideas into truly helpful ones. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who's just getting started with gothic decorating, wants a few new ideas, or just enjoys Voltaire's signature humor.

While I enjoy Voltaire on general principles, and try to support all his efforts in whatever media, I was hoping for something a little more...dense. Thicker, more full of information. Not really why I bought the book of course, but still. Anyway, some fun is still to be had, and once I get over the headache from reading white print on black pages (of course!), I will be glad it is now part of my growing Goth Home Decorating Library.

Excellent content to help develop approaches to figurative drawing...and keeping loose at the same time.

This book shows how to do watercolour figure sketches in a loose free style.

The eye-catching pictures help in showing how to draw people with exercises that are easy to follow and understand.

For learning to draw or paint people and figures this is an excellent book. He also talks about the materials needed; colour mixing, brushwork and practical tips to get the result you are after.

You may not enjoy this book if you like more detailed realistic paintings as his style is sketchy but to me this is the magic.

Charles Reid does his usual "bang-up" job. The pictures make you want to pick up a brush immediately. I also have one of his early books...very worn by now...and this one doesn't disappoint me either.

This book is so helpful..from the preparatory sketch to painting in watercolor, he teaches it all. His techniques are simply amazing, and I've learned more from this book than anything else...I FULLY recommend this book

I have other books by Charles Reid that I love. I didn't know that this book was still available, so I was thrilled to find it. It is a great book on painting the figure. I am an art teacher, so I will share it contents with my students.

First off, all the other reviewers are right on the mark when it comes to this book, yet I wanted to add a few words that might help others choose this book for their library. For one, the page on the subject "Inspired to Design" is just the beginning of the subject covered in detail through the rest of the book, but its place at the beginning is so true - test projects on paper before using fabric and thread. A must do and often ignored when the lovely fabrics, delicate threads, and other embellishments come before us on our creating table. Yet if we do use paper, ink, paint and collage FIRST, we may be able to decrease error in judgement or come up with a more inspiring product. Artists, like me, often just want to dive in, yet this book really provides the information and inspiration to do it right. Excellent words. Plus the subtle reminders of safety when using some products is also extremely important to me and the authors remind us all to keep this knowledge foremost in our minds. The images that go along with the instructions are often more beneficial than the words, often the other way around in other books, but this one does it right. THE PAINTED QUILT is a fascinating read from cover to cover and, YES, fiber/fabric artists will refer to this book over and over again, if not for guidance, for definite inspiration.

Informative and well illustrated ideas for using other mediums on fabric surfaces. Good reference for the fabric artist or aspiring fabric artist. Includes photographs documenting various processes. Once read, I really felt as though I could successfully accomplish the ideas presented. Inspiring.

Have only recently rec'd this book and am fascinated by it! Inspirational! It's one of those that when I waken at 3 a.m. and can't go back to sleep I slip it off the library shelf, curl up in my favorite chair, and just enjoy. Maybe in a slower, calmer time in my life I'll actually *try* some of these ideas.

I have painted on canvas for many years and have been interested in combining this interest with quilting. I have dabbled a bit but now that I have "Painted Quilt", I know and have tried many more techiniques for combining painting and quilting. I am delighted that these ladies wrote this book - it is like they wrote it just for me!

This book provides technical expertise in a very well written format and the inspiration to enter into a new phase of the quilting world. I can not say enough good things about this book. The book is easy to tote around and pick up, finding something new every time. With the examples, everything I have tried has come out fantastic. I have even amazed myself. The only downside is that my other projects are not being finished.